I Lost You
by I.Tripped.Over.Reality
Summary: You never realize the true value of a person until they're gone. I didn't understand why she was so different. All I knew was that I lost her. A story of love, hurt and comfort, and realizing the value of life. And a prophecy that would change everything. [Temporary Hiatus].
1. I get a new girlfriend

**Hi everyone!**

**This is a new fic I had on my mind since ages. Here it is!**

**The inspiration for this was a dream.**

**I'm writing this more for myself than reviews.**

**Still, reviews are always welcome :D**

**I hope you enjoy it.**

**Thanks!**

**ITOR**

**Disclaimer: Much as I'd love to, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians and any of Rick Riordan's characters. Key phrase: _Rick Riordan's characters. _**

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><p><strong>~Percy~<strong>

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><p>Ever since the 'Battle of the Labyrinth' as everyone had begun to call it, we kept a close eye on the camp borders. Many a time monsters had invaded despite the protective magic shield – which was really scary. Chiron had immediately prepared us to handle our threat – which is why Annabeth and I were sitting on the tree that used to be Thalia's pine and keeping an eye out for any monsters.<p>

"So…" said Annabeth after we'd been quiet for a long time.

"So…" I repeated, not sure what to say.

"So?" Annabeth asked me.

"So…"

"Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth laughed. "Stop copying me!"

"Hey! I'm not copying you!" I protested.

"Uh-huh?" she asked me, touching my nose affectionately with her index finger.

I'd noticed she'd been doing things like that a lot lately. I had no idea why.

"Yeah," I replied.

We lapsed into silence again.

"Why can't you _ever _be the first one to start a conversation, Percy?" asked Annabeth, finally exasperated.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. Here we go again…

It had been happening a lot lately with us. We couldn't have a pleasant conversation together anymore. It always turned into a fight.

"Its like I'm the only one who wants to talk to you. I'm always making the effort to talk, to use the time we spend together. Its like you don't want to be my friend!" she yelled.

"You think I don't want to be your friend?" I asked her incredulously.

"Not only that, Percy Jackson. I think you don't give a damn to me anymore. Ever since you've been hanging out with Rachel…"

"Oh yeah? Just because I have a real mortal friend and you don't you're _jealous _of me?" I said bitterly.

And instantly regretted the words.

Annabeth's beautiful grey eyes were brimming with tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"I – I'm sorry…"

"I'm _not _jealous of you," she cut me off. "I'm jealous of that stupid Rachel Elizabeth Dare! There, I said it!"

I was stunned.

"What? Why are you jealous of Rachel?" I asked her, bewildered. "You're nothing like her. You're –"

"That's exactly the problem!" she exclaimed, tears flowing faster now. "I'm nothing like her. And I wish I was. Because you like her more than you like me!"

"No way!" I said. "You're my best friend, Annabeth. No one could replace you!"

"And she's something more," Annabeth whispered. "She's more than a friend to you. And I wish I was."

And then it hit me. How could I have been so stupid? Oh, right, they called me 'Seaweed Brain' _because _I was stupid. Still, I didn't think I wouldn't realize this.

"Annabeth," I whispered, wiping her tears. My dear, silly little Annabeth. Whoa – where did the whole 'my dear silly little Annabeth' thing come from?

"What?" she asked me, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Do you really think Rachel is more than a friend to me?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"You're wrong," I whispered, pulling her into a hug.

And the moment was perfect. In that instance, I understood many things.

a) Annabeth was a lot more than a friend to me. I liked her. I really really liked her.

b) I was a lot more than a friend to Annabeth. And she liked me.

c) Annabeth was jealous of Rachel because she thought I liked her.

d) Because Annabeth thought I didn't care for her, we'd been fighting so much.

She pulled away and her stormy grey eyes met my sea green ones. And automatically, my hand found its way into her hair and her arms locked around my neck. I inhaled her scent and leaned in slowly, our noses touching each other, lips centimeters apart…

… And someone screamed.

We broke apart immediately. A girl was trying to run towards Half-Blood hill with a hellhound at her heels. At first I thought it was running with her. Then I realized it was running _after _her.

She was holding what looked like a bloody, broken body in her arms. It was obvious that whoever the person was, he or she was dead.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. She was already off the tree. "We need to help her."

I jumped down from the low branch we were sitting on and ran after her wordlessly.

We raced down Half -Blood hill and I drew Riptide – my lethal ball point pen.

Annabeth put on her Yankees baseball cap and instantly turned invisible. We'd used this strategy so many times that we didn't need any kind of communication to understand each other. I would distract the hellhound while Annabeth would plunge her dagger into it and then we'd run with the girl. It was fairly simple. Nothing could've gone wrong.

"Hang on there!" I yelled to the girl. "We'll help you!"

I looked into her blue eyes and saw naked panic there. Her jet black hair was absolutely straight and it hung loosely down her back and she was dirty and grimy. It seemed like she hadn't had a bath for ages.

Somehow, I felt very protective towards her. I didn't know why, but I did. This girl couldn't be harmed. All I could think of was – _not her_.

Oh, and, did I say nothing could've gone wrong? Correction: Nothing _should've _gone wrong.

Unfortunately, the hellhound chose to move its position in the very instant that Annabeth reached behind it, its tail knocking her off balance. Her cap rolled off to the side.

"Annabeth!" I shouted.

"I'm okay!" she shouted back. "Help her!"

I nodded. Without delay, I stabbed the hellhound's giant paw. It howled in pain and sprang back slightly.

"Run!" I told the girl. "Up the hill. Take the blonde girl with you!"

"What about you?" she asked me.

"I'll be okay!" I yelled. "Now GO!"

"No!" she yelled. I dodged a strike from the hellhound.

"What?" I screamed.

"No!" she screamed back.

"You have to!" I yelled at her. I turned to look at her. Why did she have to be so stubborn?

"Look out!" she screamed.

But it was too late. The hellhound's paw was just an inch above my head. I knew I couldn't roll out fast enough to dodge this blow. I closed my eyes and prayed to the gods that Annabeth would be all right.

Minutes passed. The paw never came down. I opened my eyes to see a pile of monster dust in front of me. The girl was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face. In her hand, she was holding what looked like a celestial bronze lightning bolt, except it wasn't quite that. It was different. If you tilted your head slightly, the weapon would look like a sea wave, not a lightning bolt. Also, for some reason, it seemed to have tinges of mortal steel and some silver in it.

I gently rested my hand on her shoulder. She jumped violently.

"Hey, relax," I whispered. "I'm Percy. Percy Jackson. Its okay. You're safe now."

The girl looked into my eyes, pain and fear evident in her eyes. Something she saw must have reassured her because the fear lessened a little.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"Sandra," she whispered.

I looked down to her lap – and immediately regretted it. She was cradling a boy who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old in her lap. His face was bruised and bloody. There were multiple cuts and injuries on him, but that wasn't what made me look away. It was how lifeless he looked. And ironically, he was smiling.

"Who is he?" I asked her.

Her eyes brimmed with tears. I groaned internally. She was the second girl who was crying because of me in a matter of minutes. _Way to go, Percy._

She refused to answer. "I'm sorry."

Annabeth walked over to us.

"Percy, you okay?" she asked me worriedly. I nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine," she reassured me. She looked at Sandra and then at me, a million questions burning in her eyes.

"Umm… Sandra, this is Annabeth, my –"

"Girlfriend," Annabeth finished for me. I blushed. Sandra looked away, biting her lip.

"Yeah, actually we just got together," I explained awkwardly. I felt a need for explaining why I took time to tell her who Annabeth was.

"Yeah, I thought so," the girl said, not meeting any of our eyes, tears cascading down her cheeks. Her voice broke though she tried to hide it. "Congratulations."

"Hey…" said Annabeth gently. She rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. She flinched a little but then relaxed.

"We should really get to Camp," I told Annabeth. Everyone would be looking for us by now.

Annabeth nodded. "Lets go."

"No!" Sandra cried. "No, please, please don't leave me alone…"

"Hey, hey, hey," I said. "Who said anything about leaving you? You're coming with us."

She looked at me, probably trying to figure out if I was serious. When she realized that I was, she flung her arms around me, taking me by surprise.

"Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in my chest. I could feel her tears soaking my shirt. I glanced over at Annabeth. She didn't seem to look angry or uncomfortable, just concerned.

And truth be told, it felt right. Like it was meant to be. I knew I liked Annabeth, but what did I feel for this girl who I'd known for just about half an hour?

"Its okay," I told her, rubbing her back soothingly. "I'm here for you."

And I don't know why I said that, but I did. Abruptly, she pulled away from me. She turned to Annabeth.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't mean anything wrong. He's your boyfriend. I have no wrong intentions. I hope you know that," she said.

Annabeth smiled at her. "Don't worry. Somehow, I already knew that."

The girl cracked a small smile. "You're smart."

I chuckled. "That's what they say."

Annabeth pushed forward.

"Lets go, Seaweed Brain," she said, pretending to be exasperated.

Sandra seemed amused. "Seaweed Brain?"

I grinned. "That's my name."

She chuckled. "So, what, you're Seaweed Brain, and you're Wise Girl?"

Annabeth and I exchanged looks.

"That's right," I said. "How did you know?"

Sandra shrugged. "It seemed appropriate."

We walked on in silence to the top of the hill. Neither Annabeth nor I had said anything about it, but Sandra was still carrying the dead body of the boy with her.

"Who is he?" I asked her, my curiosity getting the better of me. Annabeth glared at me.

Sandra pressed her lips together.

"A boy," she replied, and trudged forward.

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><p><strong>So, did you like it?<strong>

**Was it good?**

**Tell me with a review =)**

**~ I Tripped Over Reality**

**PS: I know my name is Sandra. But this Sandra won't be much like me. You'll see if you read on =)**


	2. We burn a silken shroud

**What's up people?**

**Now that I reread the chapter, I feel a little stupid for calling the OC Sandra. Note to self: Never name an original character after yourself. Its awkward.**

**I don't have much to say, except I was torn between writing this and Love:Laughter:Change. I decided on this story because I've got the whole idea planned in my mind so I can do it quick… and then I need to get back to my English and Art projects. Sigh. School sucks big time.**

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><p>~Percy~<p>

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><p>A boy. I shook my head. She looked stubborn. Why did I even bother to ask?<p>

"Percy! How could you be so stupid?" Annabeth scolded me. "Isn't it plainly obvious who he is?"

I looked at Annabeth warily. "Umm…no?"

She sighed. "The way she acts around him, it seems to be her boyfriend."

"Couldn't it be her brother? Or her best friend?" I asked her.

Annabeth shook her head. "She wouldn't be so reluctant to talk if that was the case."

I shrugged. "Girls are complicated.

Annabeth glared at me.

"Look, she's almost there, we better catch up with her," I told Annabeth.

"Sandra!" Annabeth yelled. "Wait up!"

The two of us sprinted to join her.

"So, I just wanted to warn you," I began. Annabeth shot me a warning glance. The message was clear – Don't open your mouth and say something stupid. I ignored her.

"Yeah?" the girl prompted me. Whoa – she had a name, I reminded myself. I couldn't call her 'The Girl' in my head.

"Well, you're just going to see a lot of weird stuff here… so, don't freak out, okay?" I sounded really lame by the end, but I didn't want this already seemingly traumatized girl to freak out when she got to know who she was.

"No problem. I've seen plenty weird stuff," Sandra grimaced. Annabeth and I exchanged a look. Could it be…

"Lets go then," said Annabeth as we walked through the gates of Camp Half Blood.

I saw the girl – Sandra, I reminded myself – catch her breath. I smirked.

"Welcome to Camp Half Blood," I told her.

"Its so beautiful," she whispered.

"I know," I replied. "It used to be even more beautiful."

I frowned. It used to, before the magic boundaries of the camp started getting weaker. Before the campers lost their cheer and spirit. Before you could feel the tense atmosphere. Before we were all preparing for war.

"It used to? What happened?" she asked me.

I grinned. "Something."

Now we were even.

I heard her groan before I went towards the Big House to find Chiron. Sandra was persuading Annabeth for information.

"You'll get to know soon enough," was all Annabeth told her. The two of them followed me.

"Chiron!" I yelled.

"What is it, Percy?" he said, walking – or trotting towards me in centaur form.

I heard Sandra gasp. I groaned inwardly. That was the worst way to introduce a new camper to the world of Greek gods and stuff.

"You're a centaur!" she exclaimed. She looked shocked and a little scared.

"Err… yes. Usually, we show our new campers the initiation video… but since you've already been introduced in this way…" said Chiron.

"Chiron, this is Sandra," Annabeth told her. "We saw her running towards camp with a hellhound at her heels."

"Hold up!" Sandra exclaimed. "Chiron? Like… Chiron was the centaur who trained heroes in Greek mythology."

Her eyes widened. "Are you like… that Chiron?"

"The very same," Chiron told her.

"How is that possible?" she asked, still unable to believe it. I sighed.

"Well, that monster chasing after you was real, wasn't it?" Annabeth asked her.

Sandra nodded. "Many such monsters attacked Joe and me when –"

Here she stopped abruptly.

"Joe," I said, looking down at the boy she was still holding in her arms.

Chiron seemed to notice something else.

"Child, what's that you're wearing?" he asked. Annabeth and I followed Chiron's gaze to a pendant that Sandra wore – it was a lightning bolt and a sea wave, I couldn't decide which – made out of what seemed like a fusion of celestial bronze, silver and steel. I suddenly realized it was what she'd been holding when she killed the hellhound.

Sandra took off her pendant and showed it to Chiron. He examined it closely while all three of us stared at him, puzzled. Finally, he closed his eyes and murmured a Greek prayer to the gods.

"It seems like we have a lot to talk about," he told her seriously. "Percy and Annabeth will explain the necessary things to you. Why don't you, umm… leave Joe in the infirmary?"

"He's dead," she said flatly, moisture welling up in her eyes. "What's the point?"

"We can have his funeral. You'll understand. Please," he told Sandra.

The girl nodded slowly.

"All right," she said, and I was surprised that her voice broke. "Here."

She handed the body of the dead boy I knew as Joe, who was probably Sandra's boyfriend – to Chiron. It seemed like she was saying a final goodbye, like she was completely parting with half of herself.

A tear ran down her cheek but she brushed it away. A dead look replaced the faint twinkle of her eyes.

"All right," she said. "What do I need to know?"

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><p>~Sandra~<p>

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><p>Joe was dead. He was dead because of me. He was gone, and I was all alone, stuck in a bunch of people that didn't seem real. A freaking horse man had just taken away the dead body of my boyfriend. My best friend. My partner in crime. The one person who'd always been there for me.<p>

I felt like I'd lost a part of myself. A huge chunk of myself. A single tear ran down my cheek. I wiped it away. It didn't matter. I'd just get on with life. One monster or the other was sure to find me and kill me. Then I'd be with Joe again.

"All right. What do I need to know?" I asked Percy. Despite everything, I didn't know why, I felt attached to Percy. It wasn't the relationship kind of attraction, more like something else. I didn't know what.

He looked at me a little concernedly with those sea green eyes of his. I had no trouble understanding why Annabeth had fallen for him. He was outright honest, bold, brave, stupid, outspoken, silly… just like Joe. His name sent a jolt of pain through me. I smacked myself inwardly. I wasn't going to act like such a loser mourning over him. He was gone. Fine . I'd live with it.

Who was I kidding? I _was _a loser. Nothing but that. And I couldn't help but miss him. And I possibly couldn't live without him. I found myself sinking into desperation.

"You okay?" Percy asked me. I nodded, though I was far from it.

"Lets talk in a comfortable place," said Annabeth. "Where do you like being the most, Sandra?"

I smiled. Annabeth was so nice, trying to make me feel comfortable even though I'd obviously messed up her day by coming along and probably ruining the moments she wanted to spend with Percy.

"I love water," I told her. "But I love heights too. I love the sky. I love it when there's a real storm going on, all with thunder and lightning and torrents of rain. I love, love LOVE getting drenched. I love the sea with its sparkling water and white sand…"

"Lets go then," Percy told me enthusiastically. I could see that he loved the ocean too. "I bet I can reach the beach faster than you both!"

"You're on!" Annabeth told him.

"Wait!" I yelled. No one took notice of me.

"3…2… Seaweed Brain, that's cheating!" Annabeth shouted as she sprinted after him.

I ran after the two of them as well. "Where is the flipping beach?"

We raced to the beach. Annabeth was leading and she won the race, and Percy and I were panting as we ran to outdo each other.

Percy came second and I came a close third. We sank down onto the hot sand, and caught our breaths.

"Ha! I won," Annabeth told Percy, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You pushed me, you cheater!" Percy accused her and Annabeth glared at him.

"I did NOT!"

"You did!"

"I'm sorry that you can't win foot races against the slowest runners we have!"

The two of them were almost nose-to-nose in their friendly bickering. I looked away, the ghost of a smile dying from my lips as I remembered the uncountable times when we would be arguing over trivial things like that.

"Lets go in the water," I interrupted them when I could see it was about to turn into a full-fledged fight.

"All right," Percy agreed and we waded into the cool, comforting water of the ocean. I sighed in contentment and lay on my back. I loved back floating and staring up at the sky when I was in water.

An evil face suddenly popped up in front of my eyes. He had sea green orbs and black hair, and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Before I could react, the jerk pushed me into the water and in I went. I was ready for a revenge of my own. I held my breath and waited till Percy got worried.

"Sandra?" I heard him say.

"Percy! You idiot!" Annabeth yelled. "What if she can't swim?"

I could imagine the horror in his eyes. He immediately dived in and I grabbed his leg and pushed him down and soared up to the surface.

"Haha, we're even!" I teased him. Annabeth looked at me, amused.

"I like you," she commented.

"Thanks," I grinned. I felt a surge of pleasure course through me. Annabeth liked me. She seemed so… so, _intimidating_, somehow, with that mature and intelligent manner of hers…

Yet, I felt like we could be great friends.

Percy broke through to the surface suddenly.

"You little wretch!" he exclaimed. I merely laughed. "We're even now."

Suddenly, I noticed that unlike Annabeth and me – who were drenched with our hair plastered to our faces like it _should _be, Percy was completely dry. Not a drop of water lingered on his skin.

"You're dry," I told him.

"What?" he asked, suddenly on his guard.

"You're dry," I repeated. "We're in the ocean. You should be wet."

Annabeth sighed. "Its time we explained things to you…"

"Do you know about Greek mythology?" Percy asked me. I nodded.

"Well, this may seem a little crazy, but the Greek gods are alive," he told me.

I stared at their serious faces, and then laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

They shook their heads, their expressions still grave.

"Its true, Sandra. Even today, the Greek gods are alive. They shift to wherever the civilization is most powerful in the world – which is currently the United States," Annabeth told me.

It was hard to absorb. "So… all those stories about, Zeus, Poseidon and the rest of them – they're true?" I asked, shocked.

"That's right," Annabeth replied. "And well, when they fall in love and have kids with mortals, the result is us."

"Us?" I asked. "Who are we? Freaks?"

"Not really," Percy told me. "More like pawns. We're demigods, also known as half-bloods, half mortal and half with the blood of a god."

I stared at them, trying to understand it.

"I bet you're ADHD and dyslexic," said Percy. I stared at him open-mouthed. How could he possibly _know _that? "I bet you've been labeled a trouble-maker and been kicked out of schools a lot."

"I bet you don't have a mother or a father," Annabeth continued.

"No dad," I muttered.

"You've had horrible _accidents _and been chased around by monsters," said Percy confidently. I could only nod, remembering all the times…

"How do you know?" It was all I could say.

"We've all been through it," Annabeth told me gently.

"You're a son of Poseidon," I told Percy. I was sure of it – his eyes reminded me of the sea, and he could control water. He nodded.

I turned to Annabeth. "And you're a…"

"Daughter of Athena," Annabeth supplied.

"I should've known," I told her. "I can't picture you as any other god or goddess' child."

"How do I know who my father is?" I asked them.

"Your father will send a sign. He'll claim you, probably at dinner. It can take long… the gods are busy, and besides," here, Percy paused, worry creasing his brow. "We all have a war to fight."

"A war?" I asked. "Against who?"

"We can talk about it later," Annabeth told me, not ready to touch that subject yet.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"Sandra," said Percy gently. "I know you have a lot of questions, and so do we. They'll all be answered one by one. For now, its your turn to give us some answers."

"No," I said. I stared at him defiantly, but I couldn't meet his eyes. They'd answered my questions. It was only fair I answered theirs. But I didn't want to.

"Yes," said Percy firmly, tilting my head, making me look at him. I sighed. He behaved so much like Joe used to sometimes, when he was behaving like my elder brother.

"So, you said you don't have a father," Annabeth began. "Your godly parent would be one of the gods then. How did you get to Camp Half Blood?"

I sighed, trying to remember where it all began. It seemed so far away…

I wasn't going to tell them everything, not till I knew I could completely trust them anyway. I'd been betrayed so much it was hard for me to trust anyone.

"I ran away from home with Joe," I told them, lying down on the water and looking up at the cloudless sky. "I was thirteen. Joe was fourteen – he's an year elder to me. None of us have fathers, mortal ones, anyway. Joe, he was amazing."

I felt the tears creeping to my eyes again, but I ignored them.

"He was the silliest, stupidest, funniest, most caring, most loveable boys I've ever known," I said, smiling as the tears ran down my face. "He could be intelligent when he wanted to. He was so good with electronics and digital stuff, and he loved travelling. And oh my, he was so amazing at pickpocketing."

All three of us chuckled. I paused before continuing. "He kept me alive when we were on the run. He died for me…"

I trailed off, wiping a few more tears.

"He sounds like a son of Hermes," said Annabeth softly.

"He probably was," I agreed. "He was very brave. The little little things he did for me… no one ever can. Words can't describe what he was like… or how I feel about him. I'm only fourteen, but I know I love him. I love him so much."

I stopped, realizing my voice was breaking. I closed my eyes and willed myself to continue.

"You can stop if you like," Percy told me.

"I'm nearly done. Well, we were out on the streets for an year… fighting monsters, living together… we were happy. Then one day there were too many of them," I whispered. "We fought them, but it was so hard. A beast leaped at me and Joe came in front of me to protect me… "

"How did you reach here?" asked Annabeth. I could sense that she was at a loss as to how to comfort me.

"There was a blue trail, and voices in my head. And before he died… Joe told me to follow it… get there as quick as I could…" I told them.

"And so you reached here," Percy finished. I merely nodded. I had left so much out in the story. But I didn't plan to tell them.

I straightened up. "That's about it."

Percy said nothing to me. He just pulled me to his chest and held me as I finally gave way to the tears. I sobbed uncontrollably at the loss of the one I loved the most. I felt so alone.

"Shh," Percy whispered, stroking my hair. I noticed I dried as soon as he touched me. I finally pulled away from him and wiped my eyes. I noticed Annabeth's eyes were a little misty. She took my hand.

"Lets go to Chiron. Look at the sky, we've been here so long, its almost time for dinner," she told me.

I nodded and walked along, wondering how long Percy and Annabeth would want to be friends with me… wondering when they would desert me and leave me heartbroken again…

I shook the thought out of my head. We walked on to the building I recognized as the Big House. Annabeth led me into the infirmary. Chiron was there too, standing next to Joe's bed. I noticed someone had cleaned his wounds. He looked a lot neater… but the horrible angle at which his leg was twisted… the cuts on his faces made me want to cry again.

It had all happened because of me…

"So, have you gotten to know everything?" Chiron asked me kindly.

"Well, everything except the war," I replied. I noticed his eyes tighten.

"We will talk about that soon," he promised.

"Chiron, from what Sandra has told us, Joe seems to be a child of Hermes," Annabeth informed Chiron.

I turned to look at the one boy for whom I'd willingly sacrifice my soul to bring him back to life. And I gasped.

A green caduceus was glowing above his head. I vaguely remembered it to be Hermes' symbol.

"All hail Joe, son of Hermes!" Chiron declared, and Percy and Annabeth got to their knees. I followed their example.

"Well, we can have a proper shroud burning ceremony now," said Annabeth.

"Percy, go get the Hermes cabin here," said Chiron to Percy. The son of Poseidon – I didn't have trouble thinking of him that way – went to fetch the children of Hermes, my late boyfriend's half brothers and sisters. It seemed so unfair that they didn't even know each other.

I just stared at my best friend's body and found myself walking over to him and holding him in my arms, burying my face against his chest. _I missed him_.

Some time later, Percy was back with the Hermes cabin.

"Cabin 11, this is your deceased brother – Joe," Chiron introduced Joe to his brothers and sisters. "I'm sorry you never got to meet him. Sandra?"

I looked up, knowing my eyes were red.

"This is Sandra… an unclaimed demigod," Chiron proceeded to tell everyone else. "She was with Joe when Percy and Annabeth found them."

It was a signal for me to take over. "He died protecting me," I said, almost choking over the words. I didn't want repeat them again and again. "I wish you would've had a chance to meet him, he was a colossal tribute to Hermes. He was amazing at stealing, he kept both of us alive for an year when we had absolutely no money."

I saw some of the Hermes campers look impressed.

"He was amazing with technology and gadgets and stuff like that. He loved travelling. He was great at it. And oh my gods, his practical jokes were absolutely terrific! He was such a clown! On top of all that, he was brave, outspoken, intelligent when he wanted to be…" I trailed off.

"We would've loved to meet him," said one of the boys. The boy next to him looked exactly the same – I assumed they were twins. The only difference was their heights.

"I agree with Connor," said the other boy. "I'm Travis Stoll, by the way, and this is my twin, Connor."

I smiled tentatively at them and they grinned at me.

"Well, Sandra, you'll be staying with the Hermes cabin till you're claimed. Travis and Connor will show you around later. Right now, I think we have a funeral to attend to," said Chiron gently.

I gave one long look to my boyfriend. My Joe. It was the last time I'd see him in flesh. I held him close once again and pecked his lips. I tried to leave but I couldn't. I held him close again.

"Sandra…" I heard Chiron say.

Reluctantly, I pulled away and kissed the top of his head.

"Goodbye," I whispered. "I love you."

I turned away and walked out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>A Funeral<strong>

* * *

><p>~Percy~<p>

* * *

><p>It was time for the funeral. Dinner had passed, Sandra had been introduced to the rest of the campers, but she hadn't been claimed. I sat by myself at the Poseidon table as usual as I ate. I realized I was lucky Annabeth was still alive. I'd make sure to never waste a single moment with her. I could see the pain in Sandra's features every time she thought of her boyfriend. She looked half dead herself.<p>

Everyone was assembled around the white silk shroud with a green caduceus on it. Chiron explained to the campers about Joe. It was Travis and Connor's turn to say a few words.

"We don't know him," Travis began. "But from what we've heard about him…"

"He seems like a great person," Connor continued. "Really cool."

"We wish we'd gotten to know him at least a little bit before he died," said Travis.

"We hope he gets to go where he deserves," Connor finished. I could tell that the genuinely meant it.

It was time for Sandra to say something. I was a little worried about her. She'd talked so much about him, relived so many memories, I didn't know if she'd be okay…

"He was an amazing person. The very best I've ever known. He took care of me ever since we got to know each other and I love him very very much. He was the best boyfriend in the whole world," she said quietly and lit the shroud.

Green puffs of smoke blue up into the air as the shroud disappeared.

"You can go now," Chiron told the campers. Slowly, the crowd drifted away, leaving Annabeth, Sandra, Travis, Connor and me.

"Hey Sandra," said Travis.

She looked up at him.

"Will you tell us more about him later? Like the stuff he did?" Connor asked.

Sandra smiled and nodded.

"See you," they said a little awkwardly and walked back. I could see they were trying to be comforting.

"Hey," said Annabeth gently, draping an arm around her shoulder.

"Hi," was Sandra's only reply.

She stared at the empty ground where the shroud had been. She seemed to be in a trance.

"Lets go," I told her. Her pained blue eyes met mine and I don't know why, I felt like I absolutely _had _to make her smile.

Slowly, she nodded and followed Annabeth and me to the Hermes cabin.

* * *

><p><strong>That's done. How is it? Phew… now that this part is out of the way, I can't wait to tell you exactly <strong>_**who **_**Sandra is! :D**

**Any guesses?**

**Tell me in a review!**

**How was it? Let me know :)**

**ITOR**


	3. I meet my new sister

**Hey guys!**

**Woo, I'm writing this again! It fills me with excitement to write this story. One person guessed correctly about who exactly Sandra is, so I won't keep you in suspense longer. The mystery of Sandra will be revealed to you in this chapter! **

**Today, I experimented with how Joe would feel if Sandra died. I don't like it. I've grown so attached to Joe that its hard to think in Sandra's frame of mind again. But it shouldn't be too hard. How did I do my little experiment? Well, I've got this forum on FanFiction called Live it up: Percy Jackson where Sandra died in a battle. Imagine being in the Percy Jackson universe where you can do as you please with no boundaries. There are no limitations, except for the fact that you can't see the images, but it doesn't really matter when you can paint pictures with words! If you're interested, you can look it up in the forums [we're # 6 as of 14****th**** August 2011] or you can PM me.**

**Anyway, thank you –**

**FunnelCakes, ReadingRocksmySocks, and XxLostBetweenThePagesxX for adding this story to your Favorite Stories lists! :D**

**Deviant1 UK, llamasrock123 and PeacegalSDAAH19 for adding this story to your Story Alert lists! :D**

**Reviewers:**

**ClydeMcConroy: Yes, but sh… don't tell!**

**BobLikessexytreesxD: Haha, thanks!**

**frostfeatherFTW101: Lets find out! xD**

**Xx-Lou-xX: I know… I was crying before I killed him… Thanks! And good sleuthing... lets see if you're right! Thanks! :D**

**XxLostBetweenThePagesxX: Haha… I'm curious. Were you really crying? :O And maybe you should give Joe comfort rather than an apology… Sandra died D: **

**percyjacksonlover3: *narrows eyes* You've seen the forum or read Clyde's story, haven't you? Haha, anyway, you get the cookies! They're chocolate chip, so enjoy =D **

**Unsigned reviewer who reviewed Chapter 2 on 11th August 2011: Haha... thank you :) It means protector of man in Greek :D *Wince* Sorry about the update thing... read the end A/N.  
><strong>

**So now, on with the story!**

* * *

><p>~Sandra~<p>

* * *

><p>I lay in a sleeping bag on the floor in a tiny corner of the cabin. The Hermes cabin was chock full of people, I didn't understand why they didn't use all the other empty cabins I'd seen earlier.<p>

I tried to sleep, I was absolutely exhausted, but my mind apparently was intent on working overtime. My condition reminded me of the line '_When you feel so tired but you can't sleep' _from Fix You by Coldplay. I shut my eyes and opened them as soon as I did. Joe's broken form kept flashing in front of my closed lids. It was an image I didn't want to see. And then my eyes began to flood.

"Joe," I whimpered and curled up into a ball, sobbing. "I need you back!"

I pulled the pillow onto my mouth and screamed into it. "Please come back!"

My salty tears drenched the pillow and I let my sobs be muffled by it.

"I can't believe I lost you. You're gone forever! Please! Come back!"

Realization hit me like a slap in the face all over again. Joe was dead. He was gone. There was no coming back. I'd never see him again. This brought on a fresh wave of moisture that spilled from my eyes, down my cheeks. I cried so much that my head and throat began hurting and I was slightly feverish. But still these tears wouldn't dry. The lines _'And the tears come streaming down your face, When you lose something you cant replace, When you love someone but it goes to waste, Could it be worse?'_ by the same song – Fix You by Coldplay, kept repeating in my head again and again.

"No! It can't be worse!" I shouted into the pillow, the never ending tears cascading down my face.

I think I cried for about another hour and a half before my exhaustion finally took over and my eyes closed without my knowledge. I slept dreamlessly that night, late into the morning.

I finally woke up and strolled out in the same grimy clothes I'd been wearing yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, and… yeah, you get the picture. By now, my jeans were ripped in many places and caked in mud and Joe's black t-shirt, the one that I was wearing, wasn't doing much better. I stumbled out of the cabin feeling completely out of place.

"BOO!"

"AH!" I screamed and turned around to see the cheeky faces of the Stolls. They were grinning from ear to ear.

"How immature," I said disdainfully.

"You got scared," Travis pointed out. I was glad their heights were different or I'd never know who was who.

"No I didn't. I just –" I searched my brain for a proper excuse

"Got scared," Connor finished for me. I laughed.

"All right," I replied, giving in. "I got scared. Happy?"

The two of them cheered and hi-fived as I rolled my eyes.

"You sleep like a log," Travis told me.

"Yeah! We screamed in your ears at the top of our voices, and by we, I mean our whole cabin. You kept sleeping," Connor finished.

I shrugged. "I'm a heavy sleeper."

"Bad thing for a demigod," Travis told me. Before I could ask, Connor threw an orange t-shirt, beige shorts and a towel to me.

"Go shower," he said, wrinkling his nose theatrically. "You smell worse than rotten fish."

I punched him and headed towards the showers I'd spotted last night. The water was cold but that's how I liked it. It relaxed me and freshened me up. It felt good to take a shower after so long, to wash off the grime and dirt and blood…

I toweled off, pulled on my clothes and walked out, shaking my wet hair. Five pairs of hands seized me and dragged me away.

"You need a makeover," a girl whispered to me. With a chill I realized I was about to become a pink doll, because ten perfectly manicured hands were dragging me in the general direction of the Aphrodite cabin.

* * *

><p>~Percy~<p>

* * *

><p>Annabeth and I walked in silence with Sandra to the Hermes cabin. She whispered something, probably goodnight, before she went in and closed the door. Annabeth voiced the very words I'd been thinking at dinner tonight.<p>

"I'm glad I haven't lost you, Seaweed Brain," she said.

"Me too," I replied.

"I'm not going to waste a single moment I have with you," she said firmly and took my hand.

"Nor am I, Wise Girl," I replied. Before we knew it, we were at the Athena cabin. Annabeth leaned against the wall of the cabin.

"Sleep well, Seaweed Brain," she whispered.

"You too," I replied, pinning her to the wall with my hands. She smiled.

"I need to go inside."

"Mmm-hmm," I murmured, distracted by her heady scent. Unconsciously, I took her face in my hands and leaned in slowly. She closed her eyes in anticipation, her breathing growing short and rapid. I closed the gap between her waiting lips and mine and kissed her.

She kissed me back, slowly at first, the enthusiasm and passion growing swiftly. I was euphoric. Nothing compared to how I felt, the sensation of holding Annabeth so close against my body, the softness of her hair in my fingers, the feeling of her full lips against mine…

We broke apart, gasping for air. I tried to remember who I was and how to breathe, but I made the mistake of looking into her eyes, so I was lost, mesmerized.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Percy," Annabeth whispered breathlessly. "Sweet dreams."

And with that she jogged away into her cabin while I stumbled unsteadily back to mine, trying to comprehend what had happened in the past few minutes.

* * *

><p>I sat on my bunk, staring straight ahead. For once, I was glad that I was alone in my cabin, because the goofy smile on my face that refused to go would have been seriously embarrassing.<p>

I kept replaying the events that took place an hour ago in my head. It really felt too good to be true.

I lay down slowly and closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep. I didn't see how it would happen, but I guess I really was tired because I was sleeping like a log in the next five minutes.

I didn't dream immediately, but when I did, it was really weird.

I was deep under the ocean, but it was dark, because massive black clouds loomed up in the sky. Thunder rumbled menacingly. A girl with absolutely straight black hair was tied to a rock some distance away from me. Her bangs fell into her shocking blue eyes – eyes that were pleading for mercy. She was going to die. Lightning crackled overhead and the sea became more rowdy, violent.

_I'm coming to help you,_ I thought.

_Don't, _the girl spoke in my mind. Her voice seemed strangely familiar.

_No way! You'll die!_

_It doesn't matter! It's a trap! I was meant to die anyway. But we need you… please. _

_I'm going to save you and that's all I know. _

_Perseus Jackson, you will do nothing of that sort! Go away before th- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

Her mind screamed in panic and pain as an underwater hurricane sucked her in and lightning hit her rock. The light blinded me. It took me some time to get used to the darkness when it faded away.

When I looked in front of me, the rock, the girl, they were all gone.

* * *

><p>~Sandra~<p>

* * *

><p>"Leave me alone!" I screamed as I was dragged unceremoniously into a pukeworthy pink cabin. Seriously, it was an overload of pink. The walls were painted a bright fuchsia and the bunks were made of silver metal, but the mattresses were covered with hot pink sheets. Even the floor had a fuzzy, pink carpet. The walls were adorned by pictures of famous people and hot guys (and sometimes girls) all around.<p>

"Seriously, we have people who greatly offend fashion at Camp, but _you _look absolutely _disgusting! _So, as daughters of Aphrodite, we take it to be our personal responsibility to clean you up," some girl exclaimed. She was beautiful, obviously. She had blonde hair that curled down to the middle of her back and gentle blue eyes. She had a curvy figure, and she was probably someone who grabbed a lot of eyeballs. But then, which Aphrodite girl didn't?

"Gee, thanks. I feel so loved," I replied sarcastically. "Who are you, by the way?"

"I'm Lacy. And you're going to thank me when this is over," the girl replied, sure of herself.

"Oh yeah?" I asked scornfully. "I don't like being dolled up."

"Yeah, and you don't like being hygienic either," another girl sneered. "You could only be a Hermes kid, because only they can keep themselves so dirty. Its sick that you were dating your brother..."

"That's enough, Drew," said a girl coldly, just as I said "Shut up, bitch."

The bitch called Drew scowled at the girl and me but shut up anyway. I glared at her, my anger making me see red. I wanted to hurt her so badly… how could she _say _something as petty as that? That girl…

I'd always had temper issues. I always said things I regretted when I got angry and did things impulsively. And I said words that weren't pretty either. Slowly, I'd been improving, and I personally thought that it took a lot to get me really mad. But when I _did _go mad, I'd lose all control over myself. I'd say whatever I was thinking and I often beat up people pretty bad. But what happened right now was something I'd never done before.

I felt an electric impulse go through me, shaking my mind, awakening my body. I felt a power, and I don't know what it was, but I felt something strong inside me, and it could crush this little bitch here in seconds. Blue energy danced across my fingertips, slowly spreading to my palms and arms. I enjoyed this weird sensation of being in control, of being strong and I found myself smiling slightly.

And Drew screamed.

She was having a major spasm, as if someone had electrocuted her. She lay twitching on the ground. My shock rapidly took over my anger and my curious pleasure in the strange power I'd felt. All the Aphrodite girls were staring at her and me in horror, and I looked around helplessly, begging for an explanation. I wanted to say I didn't do it. I opened my mouth but the words wouldn't come out. Somehow, I knew that was me. I didn't know how I did it, but I knew I did, even if I tried to deny it.

"Silena!" one Aphrodite girl exclaimed hysterically.

"Look at Drew!" said Lacy frantically.

The girl who'd told Drew to shut her trap seemed to be in charge. I gathered her name was Silena.

"Lacy, go call Chiron right now! Mitchell, Peter, help me move her to the infirmary," Silena commanded.

Lacy ran out of the cabin and two boys hurried towards Drew. One of them had sandy blonde hair and his fringes covered most of his deep brown eyes. He was tall and slim. The other boy was a redhead with dark blue eyes. Needless to say, they were both very cute. But I couldn't care less about that right now.

"W-what just happened?" I stammered, bewildered. "Did I do something?"

Silena looked at me with a mixture of wariness and pity. "I'm not sure. But we'd better get to Chiron."

Her response didn't reassure me one bit. "Will Drew be okay? I didn't mean to hurt her, I didn't know what happened…"

"Listen," Silena cut in. "I understand. But lets get to the infirmary. The Apollo cabin kids will heal her. And Chiron will be able to explain about what happened. Lets go."

I was still freaked out but I nodded. Peter and Mitchell carried Drew to the infirmary while I followed with Silena. I could hear shocked whispers about what just happened but I tried to block everything out.

I spotted Percy and Annabeth along with some other kids I didn't know. Chiron stood next to them, his white stallion part majestic as ever.

"Silena, what happened?" asked Chiron, concerned.

I listened guiltily as Silena retold the tale.

"I didn't mean to do anything!" I exclaimed as she finished. "I was just so mad and then this blue light…"

"Hush, my child," said Chiron gravely. "We have a lot to talk about. But before that, we'd better take care of Drew."

I just nodded numbly, looking helplessly at Percy and Annabeth for answers. Annabeth's brow was furrowed, as if she was working on a theory, but Percy looked clueless and shocked.

"I can handle her, Chiron," said a boy confidently. He looked about eighteen, with blonde hair and blue eyes. "She'll be fine."

"Good, Will. Take all the help you need."

"Yeah, I will."

Chiron turned to me. "What you just did was the mark of a demigod who we've been waiting for since a long time now. Your arrival tells us that bad times are near, my child."

"Yeah, thanks," I cut in. "I feel so wanted."

Chiron ignored me and continued. "Don't get me wrong, its always good to see new faces. But this signifies that the war is closer…"

"Why?" Percy cut in. "What's so special about her?"

I blushed, embarrassed. That didn't sound too nice.

"Sandra is a… different demigod. She's –"

And then he stopped, staring above my head. Percy, Annabeth, Silena and the boy called Will gasped.

I looked up to see a blue lightning bolt and trident glowing above my head. My mouth fell open in shock as well.

"A daughter of Zeus and Poseidon."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my gods, I just noticed its been over a month since I updated! I hate this. I am so sorry I haven't updated faster, but I got caught up in lots of stuff.<strong>

**The review replies and stuff up there is like, really old… and I'm up at 11 PM, determined to finish this chapter, and I did it! I know its kinda like a filler one where you just get to know who Sandra is, but I figured you'd want an update…**

**The next update will be fast (I'll try my best), once I put up the next chapter for Love:Laughter:Change, I'll get back to this **_**and **_**Your Guide to The Titan War II: The Last Olympian. **

**It gets a little hard to update many stories at once, so please check out the poll on my profile and help me choose. **

**Thanks guys! Please review… it helps me write to know what you think of the story. And any time any of my characters get too OOC or Mary Sueish, please tell me. **

**Until next time!**

**- Sandra **


	4. Author's Note

**Hey guys!**

**...I'm so sorry for not updating in ages. This isn't good news either.**

**I'm putting this story on hiatus till I can next update. For now, I'm continuing only Your Guide To The Titan War II: The Last Olympian and A Hephastodite Story out of all my Percy Jackson stories because I honestly don't have time. At all. **

** Sorry for the disappointment :( The school year is packed until February, so I'll try to update these stories (Love:Laughter:Change, I Lost You, etc) if I can. No fast updates, though. Sorry again :(**

**~ Sad ITOR aka Sandra**


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